—- Nottingham Forest’s ambitious Europa League campaign suffered a significant setback on a rain-soaked night in Portugal, as a catastrophic second-half sequence saw Sean Dyche’s men fall 1-0 to SC Braga. In a match defined by missed opportunities and self-inflicted wounds, Forest now face a daunting path to avoid the play-off round.

The drama unfolded in a dizzying 60-second window shortly after the interval. With the game deadlocked and the visitors beginning to assert control, James McAtee was brought down in the box, handed a lifeline by the referee. However, the usually reliable linchpin of the Forest midfield, Morgan Gibbs-White, saw his low penalty expertly parried by Lukas Hornicek.

Before the travelling support could catch their breath, the nightmare intensified. Braga broke immediately from the resulting save, and in a frantic attempt to clear a whipped cross, captain Ryan Yates inadvertently bundled the ball into his own net. It was a “minute of madness” that Dyche later lamented, and one from which his side never recovered.

Forest’s evening went from bad to worse in stoppage time when Elliot Anderson was shown a straight red card for dissent, leaving the Reds shorthanded for their final group-stage clash against Ferencváros.

Elsewhere, it was a night of contrasting fortunes for the British contingent. Aston Villa secured their place in the round of 16 with a game to spare, as Jadon Sancho’s first-half header earned Unai Emery’s side a clinical 1-0 win away at Fenerbahce. The victory keeps Villa level with Lyon at the summit of the table, confirming their status as one of the tournament favorites.

In Italy, Celtic produced a display of immense grit to rescue a 2-2 draw against Bologna. Despite playing with ten men for over an hour following Reo Hatate’s early dismissal, the Hoops led 2-0 through Hatate and Auston Trusty. A second-half surge from the hosts parity the scores, but the point keeps Celtic’s knockout hopes alive heading into the final matchday.

Meanwhile, Rangers finally found their feet in Europe this season, securing a vital 1-0 win over Ludogorets at Ibrox. A first-half strike from Mohamed Diomande proved the difference, providing a much-needed morale boost for Danny Röhl’s side.

For Nottingham Forest, the equation is now bleak. The defeat leaves them three points adrift of the automatic qualification spots. While a play-off place is guaranteed, the prospect of two additional fixtures in an already congested February schedule is a headache Dyche would have preferred to avoid.

With the transfer window closing and a move for Napoli forward Lorenzo Lucca reportedly nearing completion, Forest must find a clinical edge quickly if they are to turn their European dreams back into reality.

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